I kind of wish that the idea that you can just be was a little more mainstream.
Like, having drive and ambition is great. But it gets drilled in kids’ heads that there is some pressure to constantly be looking for the next move up, to be bigger than life. It wears you down to never be satisfied.
Not everyone is destined for greatness. It just doesn’t suit some people.
There’s nothing wrong with having a quiet life, making enough to get by, having a small apartment where you’re comfortable, and just living. You don’t have to constantly be looking to go onward and upwards. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to just be.
Took around 2 hours to finish my A4 sheet of handwritten notes for my calculus test! The topic is confusing so I need to work hard in order to get good results!! 😊 Studygram: acadehmic
Here’s master post of some great MCAT study materials and resources. Click on the bold titles to open links to folders containing the files listed below. Good luck!!!
2015 KAPLAN MCAT REVIEW BOOKS (pdf links listed below)
Behavioral Sciences Review
Biochemistry Review
Biology Review
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Review
General Chemistry Review
Organic Chemistry Review
Physics and Math Review
BIOLOGY
Molecular Biology; Cellular Respiration
Genes
Microbiology
The Eukaryotic Cell; The Nervous System
The Endocrine System
The Digestive and Excretory Systems
The Cardiovascular System; The Respiratory System
Muscle, Bone and Skin
Populations
The Berkeley MCAT Review - Biology Part 1 (2011)
The Berkeley MCAT Review - Biology Part 2 (2011)
BIOCHEMISTRY
Lab Techniques
GENERAL CHEMISTRY
Atoms, Molecules and Quantum Mechanics
Gases, Kinetics, and Chemical Equilibrium
Thermodynamics
Solutions
Heat Capacity/Phase Change/Colligative Properties
Acids & Bases
Electrochemistry
Intro to Chemistry
Electrostatics
Gases
Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry
The Berkeley MCAT Review - General Chemistry Part 1 (2011)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Molecular Structure
Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Substitutions
Carbonyls and Amines
PHYSICS
MCAT Physics Book (2015)
Translation Motion
Force
Equilibrium, Torque and Energy
Momentum, Machines, and Radioactive Decay
Fluids and Solids
Waves
Electricity and Magnetism
Light & Optics
Linear Momentum
PSYCHOLOGY / SOCIOLOGY
SCIENCE
MCAT PRACTICE TESTS / QUESTIONS
Practice Tests
Solutions
OTHER MCAT STUDY MATERIALS
Examkrackers Complete MCAT Study Set (2007)
These materials will help build your knowledge and test taking skills, they may not fit the current MCAT exam criteria but it will definitely build your knowledge of the subjects being tested.
Note-taking is one of the most essential skills a student should master. It allows you to record and review information to be used in the future. But what’s the best way to do so? Here’s an overview of note-taking styles that can help you maximize your learning!
So I’m finishing up my Ph.D. and preparing to depart for the real world (no, just kidding, I’m going to be in school forever, only in a different capacity) and I thought I’d put together a list of some college tips to share with you all. I graduated with my B.A. in 2012, magna cum laude, with 2 majors, 1 honours thesis, 2 on-campus jobs, and 3 music things. Since then, I’ve gone to grad school and also taught six semesters of first-year seminars. Now I’m going on the job market for teaching positions. All of this means that I’ve seen both sides of the college experience, as a student and as an instructor. There are a lot of great & useful college advice posts going around studyblr this time of here, and I wanted to add my own. I hope it’s useful. So here we go, with a “read more” because it’s long (sorry if you’re on mobile):
academics
find your classrooms ahead of time (profs’ offices too)
figure out how long it will take you to walk between places
figure out where your best seat will be & claim it
say hi to the people next to you, learn their names
take notes in class
take advantage of extra credit
try your best not to fall asleep in class (and if you do fall asleep, apologise to the prof afterwards)
bring your glasses if you need them, don’t be stubborn about it
check out the library, wander in the stacks, talk to the librarians
figure out how & where to print
buy used books/textbooks, or rent them, but be careful with ebooks (some profs don’t allow them)
plan breaks into your class schedule, or block everything together, whichever works best for you
work out the pros & cons of 8am classes and/or night classes
plan ahead – have a planner, put things in it, do them
fake deadlines are a thing (write down earlier deadlines, trick yourself into meeting them, bask in satisfaction)
grades won’t be what they were in high school
keep in mind GPA values: a 3.5 will see you graduating with honours
be nice to the departmental administrative staff, thank them for helping you (even with small things)
office hours versus emailing profs: both will get your questions answered (probably) but if you can go and talk in person, do it
profs & TAs are people too, they have lives, they have bad days
if something comes up, talk to your prof, be honest but don’t overshare, just show them you’re trying
on that note, try
Keep reading
29.05.17 • day 1/30
here’s the first page of my June spread and some bio notes I did today!!
will be aiming to achieve 30 days of productivity starting from today in preparation for mid-years right after June break ;-;
managed to review my bio test, watch an online holiday lecture and do up some notes today, let’s hope that I will continue being this productive!!! (۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶
**credit to my research advisor, she’s an amazing mentor and I aspire to be just like her someday :)
Read the abstract. Write down what the paper says it is going to be about.
Read the introduction. Write down what the paper says it is looking to accomplish and how.
Read the conclusion. Write down what the paper actually did accomplish.
Go through and find all the pictures, graphs, or diagrams. Write notes explaining these images to yourself.
Read the whole paper start to finish. Write a summary of the paper as though you are explaining it to a layperson, and then another summary as though you are explaining it to a colleague.
Throughout all of the above steps:
If there are words you don’t know google them and write down the definitions
If the paper defines a formula, law, variable, etc in a certain way write that down
If there are references to or recommendations of other literature write those down. After the last step if there’s anything you’re uncertain about or would like more information on look to that list for further reading
a study blog for collected references, advice, and inspiration
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